Rankin County, Mississippi
Rankin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is named in honor of Christopher Rankin, a Mississippi congressman who served from 1819 to 1826. As of 2010, the population was 141,617. The county seat is Brandon . It is part of the Jackson, Mississippi, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 96.08%) is land and (or 3.92%) is water. Major highways * Interstate 20 * U.S. Highway 80 * U.S. Highway 49 * Mississippi Highway 13 * Mississippi Highway 18 * Mississippi Highway 25 * Mississippi Highway 43 Adjacent counties *Madison County (north) *Scott County (east) *Smith County (southeast) *Simpson County (south) *Hinds County (west) Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile (57/km²). There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.03% White, 17.12% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 42,089 households out of which 36.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county the population was spread out with 25.90% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $44,946, and the median income for a family was $51,707. Males had a median income of $36,097 versus $26,096 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,412. About 7.30% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.20% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over. Rankin County has the third highest per capita income in the state of Mississippi. Transportation Jackson Evers International Airport is located in unincorporated Rankin County. Government The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) operates the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF), which is located in unincorporated Rankin County."State Prisons." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 21, 2010."MDOC QUICK REFERENCE." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 21, 2010. CMCF houses the state's female death row inmates. MDOC also operates the Brandon Probation and Parole Office in Brandon."Rankin County." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 15, 2010. The Mississippi State Hospital of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health is in Whitfield in unincorporated Rankin County."Whitfield Campus Map." Mississippi State Hospital. Retrieved on August 10, 2010."Driving Directions to MSH." Mississippi State Hospital. Retrieved on August 10, 2010. It occupies the former Rankin Farm prison grounds.Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940: Population. Bureau of the Census, 1941. 572. Retrieved on Google Books on August 12, 2011. In 1935, the Mississippi State Insane Asylum moved from a complex of 19th century buildings in northern Jackson to its current location.Cole, Hunter. The Legs Murder Scandal. University Press of Mississippi. 331. Retrieved from Google Books on October 31, 2010. ISBN 1604737220, 9781604737226 The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality operates the Central Regional Office and the MDEQ Laboratory in unincorporated Rankin County."Central Regional Office." Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved on September 21, 2010."Locations and Driving Directions to MDEQ Offices." Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved on September 21, 2010. In 2007 the Mississippi Highway Patrol opened a driver's license facility across the highway from the prison."New Driver's License Facility Opens In Pearl." WAPT-TV. April 23, 2007. Retrieved on May 21, 2010. Communities *'Cities' **Brandon **Flowood **Jackson (mostly in Hinds County, small portion in Madison County) **Pearl **Richland *'Towns' **Florence **Pelahatchie *'Villages' **Puckett *'Unincorporated places' **Fannin **Johns **Leesburg **Piney Woods **Sandhill **Star **Whitfield *'Defunct Communities/Towns' **Cato **Crossgates Farm **Value **Robinhood/Shady Lakes See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Rankin County, Mississippi References External links *The Rankin Chamber of Commerce *Rankin County Genealogy and Historical Page *Rankin County Website Category:Counties of Mississippi Category:Rankin County, Mississippi Category:Jackson metropolitan area